Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was arrested on Monday night in Oslo on suspicion of rape, according to police reports.
Borg Høiby, 27, who is the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, has no royal title or official duties. He was detained on a preliminary charge of having engaged in “sexual intercourse with someone who is unconscious or for other reasons unable to resist the act,” a charge that allows authorities to hold suspects during an investigation.
The police did not disclose when the alleged incident occurred, but stated that the victim was unable to resist. Norwegian media reported that Borg Høiby denied the accusation.
The woman, whose identity has not been revealed, is said to be struggling, according to her lawyer, Hege Salomon. Salomon informed Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the police, not the woman, had initiated the case. The royal palace declined to comment on the matter, as reported by the NTB news agency.
This arrest follows an earlier incident on August 4, when Borg Høiby was briefly detained by police for a disturbance in downtown Oslo. He faced preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage but was released. Additional charges have since been filed against him, including violations of restraining orders and driving without a valid license. The charges involve multiple women and one man.
The case has dominated news in Norway, where the royal family enjoys widespread popularity. Borg Høiby currently resides with Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and their two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.
